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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. lie — to recline
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bound — tied together
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. game — a match
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. game — wild animals
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mark — a trace
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bound — certain
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. bowl — to roll

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com